Last Week:Bike enthusiast Jesse Streitz said the hardest part of his 3,200-mile cross country bike ride wasn’t so much the physical demands of peddling from Florida to San Diego, it was the mental challenge of being away from his family for so long.

“You know things are going to happen,” he said. “You have to be mentally prepared for anything that comes along. You have to put yourself out there, and not be afraid.”

Beginning this past March, Jesse put himself out there for 50 days on the trail — 44 days of riding. He stayed clear of the freeways and onto the back roads of America, passing through seven states. He rode alongside the ocean, through mountain ranges and the desert, over the plains, and through the forest. He stopped at interesting areas, such as Civil War battlegrounds and local cemeteries. He rode in all kinds of weather, through rain storms and the searing desert heat.

Through it all, he got to experience the sights and sounds of the road. “For two months it was just me and my bike,” he said.

Jesse took one day off about every 10 days to rest. He camped in a tent, stayed in economy hotels, and even bunked at a hostel. He packed light, stashing under 35 pounds of supplies that included an IPad, cell phone and solar charger, as well as a repair kit and camping accessories. He carried two to three meals of cold food at any one time, and often stopped at convenience stores to resupply.

“I lost about 15 pounds on the trip,” he said. “The great thing is that on a trip like this, you can eat just about anything you want. It’s easy to burn it off when you’re on a bike all day. “

Affectionately known around his house as “the crazy man on a bike,” Jesse took two years to plan his ambitious trip. Now, he has a lifetime of memories of the places and people he saw along the way.

Charlie Cogan noted that the Gates Foundation campaign has now raised more than $850,000 from District 5960 over the past six years to support PolioPlus. Our club is No. 1 in the District for funds raised for the campaign.

Jim Holden encouraged club members to tune in to the outstanding PBS television series on The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.

Jean Wakely has a few XXL tee-shirts left over from the Bike Tour. The tee-shirts are $12 each. If you can’t wear one that large, there’s room enough for two. Please see Jean if you’d like one of the tee-shirts, or to claim any of the remaining lost items from the tour.

Virginia Kaczmarek reported that craft sales from the Defeat of Jesse James Days netted the club a check for $4,200.